Police Scotland, the national police force, have told the PDA, in a message of support for the PDA anti-violence campaign, that they encourage any member of pharmacy staff who has been a victim of abusive or threatening behaviour, to report this to police
The PDA campaign to end violence in pharmacies continues, including the call for zero tolerance of violence in all pharmacies. The Scottish police have confirmed that their advice is that all incidents should be reported.
PDA campaign coordinator Helen Lewis said “We welcome the support of the Scottish national police force. PDA members appreciate the support from law enforcement across all four nations and combined with the commitments we have secured from employers in recent months our campaign is on course to make a step change in how acts of violence from patients or customers are treated.
In a message of support Chief Superintendent David Duncan, Safer Communities Division, said:
“These are challenging times and we are committed to ensuring the safety of pharmacy staff. Police Scotland will not tolerate any kind of abusive or threatening behaviour against pharmacy workers and any reports of such behaviour, will be addressed in the most robust manner possible.
“People working in this sector are providing a crucial service to their communities during these difficult times and we would urge members of the public to be patient and respectful when attending their local pharmacy.
“We encourage any member of pharmacy staff who has been a victim of abusive or threatening behaviour, to report this to police”.
Learn more about the PDA anti-violence policy here: www.the-pda.org/violence-in-pharmacy.
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